Transportation apparatus and method for use in driving tunnels



P. LIPPERT AND T. E. RICHARDS, In. TRANSPORTATION APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR USE IN DRIVING TUNNELS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6.1920.

1,404,035, Patented Jan. 17,1922.

4 SHEETSSI-IEET I.

@MTW/aa@ P. LIPPERT AND T. E. RICHARDS, In. TRANSPORTATION APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR USE IN DRIVING TUNNELS.

ATPIrlCATION FILED JULY 5, i920. 1,404,036;

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Pl LIPPERT AND T. E. RICHARDS, IR. TRANSPORTATION APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR USE IN DRIVING TUNNELS.

APPLICATION FILED .IULY 6.1920. 1,404,036.

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P. LIFPERT AND T. E. RICHARDS, In. TRANSPORTATION APPARATUS ANO METHOD FOR USE |N DRTVING TUNNELS.

^ APPLICATION FILED JULY 6.1920. 1,404,036. Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

4 SHLETS-SHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL LIPPERT .AND THOMAS E. RICHARDS, JR., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRANSPORTATION APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR USE IN DRIVING TUNNELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 1*?, 1922.

Application filed July 6, 1920. Serial No. 394,311.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, PAUL Lirrnn'r and TrroMg.' RICHARDS, Jr., citizens of the TJnited States. and residents of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Transportation Apparatus and Methods for Use in Driving Tunnels, of which'the following` is a speeiiication.

Qur invention relates generally to transportation apparatus and methods for use in driving tunnels` Tt has certain aspects which relate particularly to use with tunnels that are to be provided with masonry, concrete or other lining.

In tunnel work one of the most diiiieult problems to be solved is that of haulage. This is especially so in tunnels where the material must be hauled long distances. A satisfactory haulage system for underground work must embody the elements of safety, economy in installation and maintenance, economy in haulage, and must be one with which it shall be possible rapidly to dispose of the materials as the tunnel progresses. Several forms of haulage systems have been proposed and are in use with more or `less success.

One system of underground haulage employs a locomotive operated by an internal combustion engine and while this has the advantage of being an automotive device requiring no extraneous source .of power it is extremely objectionable due to the discharge ofV gases therefrom, which aggravates the already di'tiicult problem of maintaining a satisfactory air condition inthe tunnel. For this and other reasons such haulage systems have met with little favor.

Another form of locomotive proposed and used to some extent is a locomotive utilizing storage batteries as a source of power. Locomotives of this kind while having freedom of movement are initially expensive, are very heavy, and the haulage cost is relatively high. Again in a storage battery best adapted 'for heavy duty work such as an Edison batteryV it is dangerous to charge such batteries underground due to the discharge of hydrogenV at that time. then storage battery locomotives are used in tunnel work it becomes necessary to erect a charging station above the ground. This results in adding materially to the work involved since it requires the elevation and lowering of many heavy batteries. For this and other reasons locomotives of this type are little used.

A third type of haulage is that employing an electric locomotive securing its power from a trolley wire. This system of haulage is used to a very great extent since it can be installed quickly and at relatively low cost. The trolley system of haulage, however, involves a number of objections which seriously impair its adaptability to tunnel work. Particularly is this so when the tunnels are to be provided with concrete, masonry or other lining. In tunnel work where the lining is to be provided it is common practice to drive the tunnel for a distance of one or two thousand feet before commencing work upon the lining or concrete work. Long before this distance is reached, however, it is desirable to provide power haulage means in order to dispose of the excavated material rapidly and economically. To this end, a track system is installed and a trolley wire provided. The trolley wire is initially suspended from the tunnel roof. When a concrete form of lining is provided concrete mixing apparatus of one form or another follows up'thc drifting work at some predetermined distance in the rear. Such concrete mixing and applying apparatus is of such size as to require all of the head room which it is possible to secure in the tunnel and in Atact in some instances special grooves or excavations must he made in the roof to make room for parts of the applying or mixing apparatus. For this reason it becomes necessary to remove the depending trolley wire to permit or accommodate the concrete mixing and applying apparatus. Thereafter, the trolley wire system is again installed which installation remains in place only until the steel forms which it is customary to use in connection with concrete work advance. It then becomes necessary to remove the trolley wire to permit forward movement of the concrete forms. The trolley wire is again replaced behind the concrete forms depending from the now lined roof of the tunnel where it remains until finally removed. It will thus be seen that trolley system requires the placement and removal of the wire several separate and dis` tinct times in the course of the tunnel construction work. This is a slow, laborious and expensive operation. Another serious objection to the trolley wire system lies in ioo would be torn down.

the fact that it is not possible to work very close to the point where the tunnel is being drifted for it is rusually necessary to blast to a considerable extent and in the blasting` operation the material has a tendency to fly toward the upper part of the tunnel where thel trolleyvwire hangs. This is occasioned by the best practice of blasting in which a table is formed by the lower part of the material to be excavated which table serves to direct the upward blasted material toward the 'ceiling of the tunnel. If the trolley wire iscarried very close to the blasting point, it

'common `practice to stop the trolley wire a considerable distance behind the blasting point, rlhis creates anotherproblem, i. e.

' that of'moving the material from the point where the trolley wire stops to the blasting point and to this end a number of eXpedients have been proposed which are open to objection-upon one or more grounds.

= It is an object of our invention to provide-a transportation apparatus and method for use in driving tunnels which shall be safe, simple, of relatively low cost. and which can be maintained in working order easily and at little expense.

Another object of our invention is to provide an apparatus and method of the above characterthat can be employed relatively close to the blasting point, that is capable of use where the tunnel is to be lined, with- 'out the necessity of removal of the electrical conductor at any time; and which shall be adaptable for use in standard tunnel drivineF practise. Y l

Aoaiin it is an object of our invention to provide an apparatus and method whereby power haulage can be maintained through concrete or other liningforms and which shall. atfthe same time permit the advanc ingr of the forms from time to time without the necessity of makingr and breaking the electricalconnection the tunnel forms move forward. Y

Our invention consists generally in the form, arrangement. construction and cooperation of the parts and in the steps, acts, and, stated' sequence thereof wherein7 the above named objects. together with others that willappear hereinafter are attained.

Our invention will be more readily understoodcvby reference `to the accompanyingr drawings which illustrate what we consider at the present time to be the best embodiment thereof. f In said drawings:

Riez l is a cross section through a tunnel which is being drifted and which is partly lined. f y Y Fig. 2. is a cross section through a. tunnel snow/'infr `the concrete form in place and the tunnel lined with concrete.

Fig. 3, is `a horizontal View through a It is, therefore, thev part of the tunnel and through the concrete form being viewed substantially along the line afi-#fliof Fig. 2.

Figi'. is a vdetail sectional view substantially on the line 4--4 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 5 is a detail View showing means ofl joining,- sections of the electrical conductor.

Fig, 6 is a sectional view substantially on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

7, is a view in elevation of a transmission pole used for conducting current to the locomotive.

Fie'. S is a sectional view substantially on the line 8--8 of Fig. 7. i

Fig'. 9, is a detail view showing how theV conductor enters the locomotive.

if 10 is a plan view of what we term a Acarriage shoe showing` it mounted upon a rlhe tunnelV 2, illustratedin the drawingsV is formed withV an arched ceiling' 3. vertical side walls 'fla and 5 and substantially horizontal bottom or floor G. This tunnel, it should be understood, is by way of illustra tion and not by way of limitation. Inasmuch as the invention is of especial importance iniconnection with tunnels that are to he lined with masonry, concrete and the like. we shall describel the formation of the tunnel with such lining. As the tunnel is drifted portions of the liningl are` provided 'alongf the sidewalls e and 5, as well shown in Figi. 1 where these portions bear the numerals 7 and 8.- Asa matter of convenience in description, we shall refer to these wall portions 7 and 8 as footing walls. These footing walls are always initially pro-v vided for a lined tunnel and the upper faces 9 and l0, respectively, of these walls are formed to grade. The inner faces 11 and 12. respectively, are formed the proper dis-V tance apart tofgive the tunnel the Vwidth desired and these also serve as guides for the placing' of the form that is used in applrine` the concrete lining` to the remainder of the tunnel. It should be understood that these footing; walls are always formed prior to thc/formation ofthe complete lining, but the `work performed thereonv is in no sense lost because these footing walls form a part of the lining. `In order that a bond may be better formed between the remaining part of the lining and these sub walls it is customary to provide the upper faces 9 and 10 with grooves or depressions 13 and 14. re- Spectlvelyr lso Ve take advantage of these footing walls to provide grooves or housings for an electrical conductor which is to supply current to the haulage locomotive that is to operate over the tracks 15 and 16, respectively. fnasmuch as the electrical conductors on each side of the tunnel are alike a description of one will suffice for both. The electrical conductor may assume various forms, but, as here shown, it takes the form of a T- rail, 1T, which is suitably supported by means of insulators 1S. The T-rail is mounted in a groove or recess 19 that we form for this purpose in the footing wall. The recess or groove 19 is preferably formed of a depth such that the electrical conductor does not project beyond the inner face of the wall. This arrangement not only Vremoves danger of accidental contact by workmen in the tunnel, but, what is also of great importance, prevents the flying fragments, during` the blasting operation, from injuring the conductor. Because of this pocketed arrangement of the conductor in the footing wall the conductor can be safely carried to a point very close to the blasting point. It becomes possible therefore to provide haulage directly to the point where the material is found, thus obviating the necessity of makeshifts heretofore provided where the trolley system is used.

The conventional method of transferring current from the conductor to the locomotive has kcertain inherent objects especially for tunnel work and we have provided novel apparatus which greatly simplifies the hauling problem and which insures the constant safe and efficient functioning thereof. le might here state that at times it is necessary for the locomotive to leave the main track and enter a switch track as when passing through the concrete form. The description of the concrete form, switch, and associated apparatus which we have provided to 'this end will be described hereafter and we only mention it at this time to indicate that the peculiar requirements of tunnel construction have influenced the design of nearly all of the parts. Also in tunnel work lthere are many instances when the electrical connection must be broken between the conductor and thealocomotivev such for example when crossing intersections, passing around switches, etc.

On the electrical conductor we mount what we shall hereinafter term a carriage shoe. Thiscarriage shoe comprises acontact block 2O which rests upon the head of the conductor rail 17 and which has an upstanding shank portion 21, which is held in position by the frame or blockportion 22. The frame or block portion 22 is held in position and fixed to the rail by means of a plurality of roller wheels 23 that are carried upon vertical bolts or pivots 24.

Thus it will be observed that the carriage shoe will maintain itself properly in place upon the Yconductor rail and at the same time may be moved along the rail as desired. Also of importance is the fact that goed electrical contact is constantly maintained by the construction provided. Attached to the Vframe or block '22 at each end we pro vide hook blocks 25. The construction of' these hook blocks Vare alike so a description of one will serve for both. The hook blocks are provided with spaced jaw portions 2G and 27 which define a recess 28. A transmission pin shortly to be described is adapted to be inserted and wedged into place in either of these hook blocks 25.

There are two other main elements that are utilized in transmitting current from the carriage shoe to the locomotive and they are what we term the operating head and the transmission pole. The operating head carries a transmission pin 29 from which extends, near one end, a shank portion 30 which terminates in a latch portion 31. The transmission pin 29 is securely bolted to an insulating handle block and to the handle block 32 is suitably secured a handle 33. The handle is thoroughly insulated from Vthe transmission pin 29. The transmission pin 29 passes through a disk 34 which disk has a square hole therein and the transmission pin at vthis point being square the disk is prevented from turning. The disk 34 is held in position by means of lock stud pins 35 and the entire assembly is held securely together by means of the nut 36. Fitted to revolve freelyabout the transmission pin is a yoke block 37 which has two yoke cap 'screws 38. 'By means ofV these yoke cap screws the yoke 39 and yoke flange Ll0 are attached to the yoke block. The yoke block, being "free to revolve about the transmission pi'n,jand the yoke 'being free to revolve about the yoke cap screws, in a plane normal to the plane of motion ofthe yoke block, constitutes a universal joint and allows motion in any plane.

Bolted lto the yoke flange by means of pole flange 41 is the transmission vpole 42. The transmission pole is preferably lmade of an insulated or nonconducting materia-l and of such length as may be required by operating conditions. Attached to the yoke flange, pole flange, or pivot Vis a cable lug f3. This lug has a conducting cable 44 attached to it in the usual method as by Ysoldering or any other desired way. The pole flange VIna'y in some instances be insulated from the yoke flange in which event the cable lug will be fastened to the yoke flange'only.

The operating head is usually placed within convenient 'reach of the operator and can be connected and disconnected to the car-- 'riage shoe by means of ya turning motion of the handle. The entire apparatus, namely current withv small loss of voltage.

carriage shoe, frame block, hook blocks,-

transmission pin7 v7oke block and cable lug` are all in good electrical contact and trans mit to the cable 44 the necessary electrical Under most operating conditions the pole flange will also be in good electrical contact with all of the. above mentioned parts. The pole 42 is attached to a pole connecting the block 45 which is carried in or by the links 46 and 47. The links 46 and 47 are pivot-ally united as by means of pivot pins 48 and 49 with similar links 50 and 51 which in turn support similar parts carrying the rear end 42 of the pole.

The links 46, 47, 50 and 51 joining the pole portions 42 and 42 carry, on the Vpivots 48 and 49 helical springs 52 and 53 which tend to move the pole portions 42 and 42 toward each other. At the same time kthe construction is such as to permit distension as required inV operation. The links ,have such lengths and range of motion as are .required by any operating condition. Y

Attached to the pole portion 42 is the pol coupling 54 and pole fork 55. The pole fork is of size to suit operating conditions or peculiar features oi the locomotive to which the entire transmission pole will be` connected, and is attached to the pole-bearing 56 by two pole cap screws 57. This fork is free to turn about the cap screws 57. The pole bearing 56 is held in position relative to the vpole connecting pin 58 by twohollow set screws 59. These screws are fitted into a slot cut in the pole connecting pin entirely around its circumference. The hollow cap screws are so fitted in this slot to allow the pole bearing to turn about the pole connecting pin.

Referring again to the pole'tork and pole bearing, it will be seen `that the plane of .motion of the Jfork is normal to the` planel of motion of the pole bearing giving a unie versal joint and allowing motion in any plane.V The pole connecting pin 58 is connected to the apparatus which is 4to be driven by means of the pole connecting pin flange 60 in any suitable manner.

i The-cable 44 passes through the pole 42 between links,` through pole portion 42; through pole coupling 54 and through pole connecting pin 58 and into` the machine or locomotive to be driven from whence it is led, in any convenient manner, to the control apparatus of the machine.

. The cable being insulated there will be no current flow through the poleflinksrfork or 1n. c p Again it maybestated that the entire apparatus, namely, carriage shoe7 operating head and transmission'pole are made of sizes and stren hs suitable to any operatingv condition, he cable is likewise proportioned to have a salte carrying capacity of electrical current for load placed upon it.

The motion of the carriage shoe along the rail or conductor is guided and fixed thereon by means of the roller wheels necessitating accurate alignment for satisfactory operation. This alignment is attained by a dowel bond and tie plate best shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawing.

1n the rail or conductor a hole-62 is drilled and tapped to a depth equal to the lengthV ot the dowel bond 63. The dowel bond is slotted on opposite sides as indicated at 67 to receive the squared ends of the dowel keys 68 that are screwedinto the dowel bond nut 64 and can be slipped along this slot. The dowel bond nut 64'has a section exactly of same dimensions as head and web of the rail or conductor to which the dowel and nut are connected. The tie plates 65 kare attached by bolts 66 to the rail flanges.

ln use the dowel bond is `screwed by means of the dowel bond nut into the tapped hole of the fixed rail until theY eX- posed end of the dowel bond is flush with the face of the dowel bond nut. Therail or conductor to be placed'is then b-utted tightly to the dowel bond nut. The tie plate is then connected to both rails or conductors bringing the two rails or conductors into perfect alignment. The dowel bond nut is now turned in a reverse manner to unscrew the dowel bond. This motion backs the dowel bond out until the replaced n or new rail or conductor has received intoit exactly the same length of dowel bond as re-k mains in the fixed rail or conductor.

The limiting ot the dowel bond travel is attained by cutting the slots 67 of a length from oneyend only equal to one-halfof the total length Y oit the dowel bond plus the thickness of the dowel bond nut. When this Vlimit of travel has been attained the dowel bond nut is firmly forced against the replaced or new rail or conductor and brought into exact coincidence with the rail head making acontinuous and unbroken rail head throughout the length of the conductor.

The stem can be of any length. 1n tact,

the dowel bond nut 64 can be a full rail or conductor sectiom that is, head, web and Hflange are exact counterparts of the rail or The concrete form is of a common and well .known construction and is suitably braced by horizontal and vertical members T1, T2, and 73. By means of the connections T-l between the wall of the form and the brace 71 and by means of the turn buckles 75, extending between the vertical braces and the side walls, the walls of the form can be reduced in size to permit forward movement of the form, which is necessary as the wor r progresses. Lo facilitate this forward movement the form structure is mounted wheels i6 which rest upon rails lTT proed for that purpose. lt will be observed that the form structure would interfere with passage of the train along the rails 16 and henne a switch or turnout 1G is provided so that'the locomotive and train may leave the track 16 and pass through t-he form and thereafter return to the main haulage track.

Ve provide means for insuring the operation ot the locomotive through the form at all times. To this end we have provided an electrical conductor as shown at 78 which follows the form of the switch track 16. This conductor 78 is similar to the main conductor that is mounted in the recess 19 and at its ends'comes close to but does not touch the main conductor. For the purpose of bringing current to the conductor T8 we provide, in this instance, a carriage 83 which is mounted upon the main conductor 17 which may in construction be like the carriage shoe heretofore described. In any event it has the same characteristics, i. e. is slidable along the main conductor. By means of a cable or bond S0 which is joined tothe conductor 7S current is transmitted to and the conductor l78 is energized. As the form moves forward, the conductor 78 moves therewith and this drags the carriage 79 so that at all times we are assured of proper transmission of current to the conductor rails '78 without the necessity of makingand breaking connections from time to time. A portion of the conductor rail 78 extends beyond the ends of the form and in order to support these end portions we have irovided at one end a nluralitv of hanofers l. .f b

S1. These hangers have a portion 82 which lits into the groove 14 of the footing wall' and which serves to hold the hangers firmly in place. A t the same time, the hangers can be readily removed as may be necessary from time to time. The other end of the conductor rail, i. e. where the lining has been completed is supportedV from the form by means of a brace 81. (See Fig. 3.) On the conductor 78 we also provide a carriage shoe, as indicated at 83 which in construction may be like the carriage. shoes heretofore described with reference to the main conductor.

By this construction the locomotive can and the haulage tracks conductor rail and the haulage tr;

be operated through the form without danger of going dead while in the form.

Method of operatief/z.

The carriage shoe, as before stated, has two hook locksT one at each end arranged to receive the transmission pin and its attachments. To make connection with the carriage shoe, the operator wasps the handle, sets the transmission pin iA a hook lo 1 ind turns the handle in the direction toward the contact shoe shank and ther"k wedges the. transmission pin in `position. The operator can now drive the locomotive because he a full and complete electrical circuit from the main conductor rail and grounded rails or tracks. The tiziiisii"ssi xn pole either pulls pushes the carriage shoe. By means of the universal joint at the operating head and connecting pin and also by meansA of the connecting lin which are restrained by the helical spriirs thereon, the variations between the conductor rail sated for without shock or strain to any of the parts. This is important in tunnel and similar work because considerable variation both in alignment and grade of the haulage tracks are .frequently met with. Because of the comparatively great range ot motion both in alignment and grade our transmission pole eliminates the necessitiv of any very accurate alignment and grade between the g cks such as is required in all other third rail systems.

iafter connection is made with the carriage shoe, the locomotive may be started and when underway continuesv along the track until stopped either for cross-overs, si iitches, or the end of the trip. Usually the operator will stop his train a fixed distance from the cross-overs, switches, etc. Upon receiving his signal to go ahead he will start his train, building up speed, and when within fifteen or twenty `feet from the intersection, cross-over, switch, or the like, by a reverse turn of the handle will disconnect the transmission pin from the carriage shoe` and coast across the cross-over, intersection, etc. The carriage shoes are dropped by ingoing and outgoing trains usually within fifteen or twenty feet of the side of the cross-overs or intersections. After crossing the intersection the operator allows the transmission pin to slide along the rail head holding it in this position by means of the handle until the carriage shoe is met at which time he places the transmission pin into the hook block and there wedges it in placev in the manner before stated. Because of the ease and accessibility of the parts any proficient operator can drop or pick up, i. e. connect and detach the transmission pin while in motion thus eliminating the necesare easily compensity of stopping the train for that purpose.

In order that the locomotive and its cars may pass through the form which is provided with a crawl switch and in which the available space is small it is necessary that the locomotive move very slowly-that is to say, it is `not feasible to coast through the form. For passage through the form the locomotive drops the carriage shoeon the main conductor, picks up thecarriage shoe on the conductor carried by the form, passes through the form dropping the form carriage shoe `inst before passing on to the main tracks and there picking up the carriage shoe on the main track for the con tinuation of the trip.

It is possible with our construction for locomotives operating in both directions to use the same conductor rail. This is accomplished by the respective locomotives dropping the carriage shoes as they approach each other and thereafter picking up that shoe which was dropped by the otherV locomotive.

The many advantageous features of our invention Will be understood by those skilled in this art without further comment, but, inasmuch as this disclosure will readily suggest to such persons various modifications whereby the substantial objects and purposes of our invention can be attained We do not Wish to limit ourselves to the specific construction herein shown and described nor tothe precise steps or stated sequence of the method of operation, except only as may be necessary by limitations in the hereunto appended claims. e

We claim:

l. In a tunnelV haulage construction for y tunnels that are to be lined, a footing Wall that is to form part of the lining, a groove in the side thereof and an electrical conductor mounted in said groove.

2. A method of providing haulage for tunnels that are to be lined that consists in forming a footing Wall with a recess therein and in mounting an' electrical conductor in said recess before completing the tunnel.

3. In a tunnel haulage construction, a foot-k ing Wall thatis to form part of the lining, a groove in the side thereof and a rail electrical conductor in said groove.

4. A method of providing haulage for tunnels that are to be lined with concrete that consists in providing a concrete form, in providing an electrical conductor longitudinally of the tunnel ,and bevond the ends of the form, in providing said form with an electrical conductor and in maintaining constant electrical connection between said first mentioned conductor and the conductor carried by the concrete form.Y

5. A tunnel haulage and lining apparatus embodying therein ya portable concrete form, an electrical conductor extending longitudinally of the tunnel and beyond the ends of the form, an electrical conductor carried by the concrete form, a shoe carriage'free to move on the first mentioned conductor, and an electrical connection between said shoe carriage and the electrical conductor carriedY move on the conductor carried by the con-Y crete form, and Shoe carriages upon the tunnel conductor and disposed beyond the respective ends of the concrete form.

In testimony whereof, We havehereunto set our hands, this 2nd day of July7 A. Vl). 1920. V Y Y PAUL LIPPERT.

THoMAs n; RICHARDS, JR. 

